Name: Cattleya longipes × Encyclia Doctor Ben
Etymology: Cattleya (named in honor of British orchid collector William Cattley); longipes = long-stalked (Latin longus = long and pes = foot/stalk, referring to the conspicuously long flower stalk); Encyclia (from Greek enkyklein = to encircle/enclose, referring to the lip lobes that encircle the column); Doctor Ben (the registered name of the hybrid Encyclia cross E. mooreana × E. randii).
Origin / Distribution: Cultivar. The parent species of the taxa involved originate primarily from the Neotropical regions of South America (particularly the rocky and forested regions of Brazil, as well as Central and South America).
Location / Habitat: Epiphytic to lithophytic. After deflasking, it requires intermediate to warm-intermediate conditions, a bright location with plenty of indirect light (no direct, intense midday sun), humidity of approximately 70–80%, and continuous, gentle air circulation.
Description & Notes: This delightful intergeneric cross combines the compact growth habit and hardiness of the South American rock orchid Cattleya longipes (syn. Hoffmannseggella longipes) with the floriferousness and elegance of Encyclia Doctor Ben (E. mooreana × E. randii). Cattleya longipes contributes a very compact, almost miniature stature as well as firm, upright flower stalks, while Encyclia Doctor Ben may pass on branched, many-flowered inflorescences with attractively textured lips and the potential for a delicate fragrance. The seedlings promise to develop into compact to medium-sized plants bearing abundant, long-lasting flowers in layered shades ranging from rose to brown and yellow. This hybrid system is generally adaptable and is ideally suited to continued cultivation mounted on supports, in small pots with airy pine bark, or in well-ventilated terrariums.

In vitro culture: You will receive a flask containing 4 young plants. The plants are generally already large enough to be deflasked. After opening, carefully remove all the nutrient medium from the roots with lukewarm water and plant the seedlings in fine, very airy bark with a little sphagnum. For the first few weeks, we recommend high humidity, warm to intermediate conditions, and bright but sheltered light with good air movement. Keep the substrate evenly and slightly moist at first; only gradually increase light intensity and allow the substrate to dry more between waterings once the plants are well established.